


Grub Fic AU Part 7

by RainbowPixieCat



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Blood, Drama, Egg Laying, Eggpreg, Labour, M/M, Pain, Vomit, medical scenes, mention of genitals
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-02
Updated: 2017-01-02
Packaged: 2018-09-14 05:22:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9163990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RainbowPixieCat/pseuds/RainbowPixieCat
Summary: It's finally time for Kankri to lay the egg, but it happens while Cronus is at work and the weather is being wild and unpredictable. Through floods and rain, a new life is brought into the world.





	

Rain fell steadily, drumming on the roof and splashing on the windows in large, juicy splats. Kankri hummed softly as he listened to it while making himself lunch. He had been cleaning since early this morning and had worked up quite the appetite. He finished making his large double decker sandwich and went to sit in the living room with a good book, enjoying the sounds of the late autumn weather. It was now almost winter and there had been weeks of rain, hail, icy winds and storms. Some areas were being flooded. There had been a few people evacuated from their homes to the emergency centres but thankfully, Cronus and Kankri’s part of the suburb wasn’t affected. Things were cold, wet and soggy but the water ran off down the hill behind them and flooded the paddocks instead.

Kankri flinched at a sudden boom of thunder that shook the walls of the house, nearly choking on his sandwich. He placed a hand over his leaping heart and coughed hard, eyes watering. He managed to clear his airway and swallow the mouthful of wholegrain bread and salad. He let out a breath of relief.

Kankri leaned down to try and retrieve his book which had flown off his lap to the floor. He made a noise of dissatisfaction as he found that not only could he not bend over properly with his rounded tummy in the way, he definitely couldn’t reach the book. His fingers grasped thin air. Kankri grumbled, putting his sandwich plate aside and pushing himself up off the couch with a groan. He gasped and whimpered when a cramping pain rolled through his lower back. He had been cleaning all of yesterday too. He figured that he’d lifted something too heavy while sorting through the boxes of stuff in their garage which doubled as a storage room. He’d probably pulled a muscle, hopefully hadn’t torn something. He knew he was supposed to be taking things easy now, getting lots of rest. But Cronus wasn’t here to stop him doing things and he’d started the week off with the strange urge to just clean everything, neaten the entire house.

‘Cronus’. Kankri thought longingly of his matesprit, wishing he was here. He could have gotten him to move some of the heavier stuff, maybe vacuum and mop for him with a little verbal guidance. Kankri fell into a squatting position and at last managed to retrieve his fallen romance novel from the floor. He resettled himself on the couch, moaning once more and putting a hand firmly to his lower back as another pain tensed through it.

“Oww. Cronus, I miss you” he whimpered, wishing for the feel of strong cold hands rubbing out the aches in his muscles. He looked down at the shirt he was wearing underneath the unzipped hoodie and smiled, smoothing his hand over the wavy violet lines that made up the Aquarius symbol. “Come home soon, okay” he whispered.

More thunder rolled through the house, echoing in every direction, followed by the flicker of lightning which lit up the room in ghostly blue. The rain increased its downpour and Kankri felt glad to be safe and secure inside. He did spare a thought for his garden, which was getting the watering of a lifetime and looked rather dead and straggly. That wasn’t his only worry. He’d been feeling kind of funny all day, just off somehow. He’d been more sensitive than usual, jumping out of his skin at claps of thunder or sudden noises. He was feeling sort of nervous yet energised and it was the strangest mix of feelings. On top of missing his matesprit like mad, that is. Kankri took his mind off his concerns with his book and his sandwich, passing the time. He knew Cronus would be home on the weekend so he’d just have to tough it out. He at least had their daily phone call to look forward to. And he could chat to people online, or ring someone if he really wanted. Latula or Porrim were always happy to chat.

A while later, Kankri had finished his sandwich and put down his book. He was in the kitchen, washing up his knife and dish and the cutting board he’d used, not wishing to leave crumbs lying around and attract vermin. He cringed as another pain seized his lower back and held the edge of the counter tightly while he waited for it to pass. It had lasted a little longer and been stronger than the previous twinges and aches. He decided maybe he wouldn’t go clean all the walls after all, and that perhaps he’d better sit down with a heat pack and try to rest so he could heal. Whatever he’d done to his back must have been a good effort.

Kankri hobbled down the hall to the linen closet and found the heat pack, going to put it in the microwave with a cup of water. He put the timer on for two minutes, ensuring the heat pack would be nice and hot and retain its heat for a good amount of time. Kankri swayed and rocked a little as he leaned his hands on the counter, trying to ease the painful cramps. He felt foolish for lifting those heavy boxes the other day and berated himself for his mistake.

He waddled to the living room with the heat pack wrapped in a tea towel that had a cupcakes design on it. Kankri eased himself down onto the couch and placed the wrapped heat pack behind his back with the cushions. He grabbed the TV remote off the side table and turned on the TV. News reports on various channels were showing the flooded streets, buildings, parks and even shops and places in the city centre. Kankri turned the volume up to hear over the rain. He was shocked to see how flooded everything was and that the area their house was in was one of the few unaffected pockets. The reporters urged people not to drive through flooded roads, not to play in floodwaters and to steer clear of rivers and stormwater drains. It showed people being rescued by helicopter from the roofs of their houses. Kankri thought about Cronus being trapped by the water and frowned, worrying. He reached for the phone in the pocket of his unzipped hoodie but thought better of it at the last moment. Kankri sighed. He didn’t want to bother Cronus at work. He was probably performing at the local pub the next town over and there wasn’t anything he could do about it if the road had been closed off. Kankri decided he’d just wait till later. He switched channels to a cooking show and watched that for a while, finding it much less stressful. The heat pack was really helping and he leaned back and sighed, rubbing his belly in slow soothing motions while he relaxed into it. Kankri closed his eyes for just a second...

***

He awoke to a strong tightening pain in his back and belly, something that felt like a wave of pressure. This time it didn’t just stay restricted to his lower back, it spread all the way around and through into his pelvis. Kankri whimpered and cradled his stomach. It felt rock hard. He started to feel anxious. His stomach was sort of firm, to be expected, but never rock hard. He leaned forwards and groaned as the pain grew worse. It almost felt like a stomach upset. He clumsily slid off the couch and hurried, as much as he could bent over with his arms around his belly, to the bathroom. He managed to get his pants and underwear down and get on the toilet and sat there, expecting something to happen. But nothing did. The pain receded a bit and then started to fade. His stomach muscles relaxed again.

“Wh…what’s going on?” he whispered, looking down at his stomach, scared. He stayed in the bathroom for a while, long enough for another pain to grip him. But nothing seemed to be happening other than pains. Kankri waited till it passed and shakily got off the toilet. Forgetting his pants and underwear, since they were difficult to get back on anyway, he made his way to the bedroom and curled up in the nest of pillows, clothes and soft toys that he had built up. He’d been almost obsessively adding items to it over the past two months and insisted he was more comfortable sleeping there than anywhere else. Cronus went and got a mattress to put under the jumble of pillows, clothes and soft things, making sure that his love at least had a healthy support for his spine. Kankri curled up in it now, hugging tightly to a pillow. A clap of thunder startled him and he felt something warm streak down his face. He hadn’t realised he was crying. He shakily pulled out his phone and hit the speed dial. It rang for a while and he started to get more anxious the longer it took to get answered. Just as he was getting frustrated, someone picked up. “Hey, Chief. Vwhat’s up?” Cronus, sounding happy and casual. “Perfect timing. You caught me on a break” 

“Cronus. Help. I hurt!” Kankri stammered into the phone with a small hiccup. “I hurt and I don’t know what’s wrong and it’s happening again and I’m scared!” He spilled the words out in a rush, panicking as he said them.

“Oh. Shit. Uhh. Hold on. I couldn’t really understand vwhat you said. Vwhere do you hurt? Tell me vwhere, and howv did you hurt yourself?” he said slowly, calmly, though concern could also be heard in his voice.

Kankri tried again “I-I don’t know. Just my back and my stomach and, I thought I had tummy cramps but then nothing happened and now they’re worse and it feels like someone’s twisting my insides and- " He broke off to take a breath, sobbing, “I need you to come home. Now” Kankri kept crying, hard, clinging to the phone. He yelped and nearly dropped it when he felt a pop and some warm liquid gush down his legs all of a sudden.

“Vwhat? Vwhat’s happening? Kankri, are you all right?!” Cronus asked into the phone, alarmed.

“W-water just came out. Out of me. I..I don’t know…” he was confused and in denial of what was happening. He couldn’t admit to himself it was the obvious thing. That was just too scary to accept.

“Okay, shoot, I think I knowv vwhat this is. Just stay calm okay. I’m on my vway. I’ll be home as soon as I can. I’m coming nowv. Hold tight, babe. I’ll be there soon” Cronus reassured him, speaking as calmly as possible. Screw the flood waters and screw the fact that he had a really nice car. His matesprit needed him. He was going to find a way to get there no matter what.

“Okay” Kankri held onto the phone, shaking and still crying, even after it hung up. His cry turned into a moan as another pain clamped down on his stomach, tightening the muscles inside. He hugged on tight to the pillow, digging his claws into it and gritting his teeth, hissing through the pain. He kept thinking ‘It can’t be labour. I’m not due till next week. It just can’t be. I’m not ready. It’s not that. I’m not due till NEXT WEEK’ 

***

After hanging up, Cronus hurried downstairs to the hotel’s bar and quickly explained the situation to the rest of the band members, who were having a few drinks and playing some pool. They understood and said they’d cancelled the show due to floods anyway. Cronus didn’t stick around to chat. He grabbed his car keys, wallet and phone and ran out of the hotel to the car park.

He got in the car and drove as fast as weather permitted on the rain-slicked roads, drawing the fine line between getting to Kankri on time and getting in a car accident. It took about twenty minutes to get back and parts of the road were flooded either side, sometimes with portions of water covering the road or with deep pot holes. Cronus drove through them. He had the windscreen wipers on the fastest speed yet visibility still wasn’t good. He was nearly back to the city when he came across a flooded section of road, gushing with brown water. Cronus slowed down, bringing the car to a stop. He looked at the water, trying to judge how deep it was and how strong the current. It was hard to tell just on the surface. The longer he hesitated, debating with himself, the more anxious he felt. There wasn’t time to go back and get help and there was no one else around. It looked like he was the only one foolish enough to drive in the floods. But he had a good reason for it.

“Fuck it” Cronus put his foot down and drove into the water. It splashed up the sides of the car as he drove through it but he made it to the other side without getting bogged down or swept away. Luckily the car was heavy and not easily moved. Yet it was still a dangerous and stupid thing to do. Cronus figured it was worth the risk. He kept driving, taking a few detours to avoid the worst flooded places in the city.

He was driving through their suburb and had nearly reached their street when he came across a road that had turned into a river, blocking off the other half of the suburb. The rain made it hard to see and drive in and the water was too deep to just plough through like before. Cronus parked the Cadillac on the side of the road near some waterlogged homes and got out. He waded into the water, then dived under and swam. The current was stronger than expected and he got swept along, dirty brown water flowing through his gills. A few submerged objects bumped into him and he into them as he made his way across, eventually washing up on someone’s garden halfway down the street. He took a couple of shortcuts through sodden gardens and back yards, got chased by a dog, fell in a mud patch and ripped his clothes on someone’s fence, but eventually made it to the doorstep of their house on 13 Primrose Street. Cronus got his key out of his soaked wallet and opened the front door. He stripped out of his wet clothes and shoes, grabbing a towel out of the linen closet on his way down the hall to the bedroom. Cronus ran over to Kankri and kneeled beside him, pulling him into a hug. “I’m here. It’s okay. I made it, Cherry. You’re gonna be fine” he hugged him tight. “Promised I’d be here” he panted.

Kankri released the pillow he was hugging and latched onto Cronus “You’re soaking wet! Are you okay? You’ve got a big cut on your arm. And your chest’s bruised. Cronus, what did you – nngh!” he was cut off by another vice like pain gripping his insides. Kankri groaned loudly as he fought through it, leaning into Cronus.

“Easy there. It’s fine. Don’t vworry about me. I can take care of myself. It’s you vwe needa vworry about” he soothed, rubbing Kankri’s back firmly where he knew it usually hurt. “Remember vwhat the midvwife said. Breathe through it. That’s it, breathe”

Kankri panted breaths throughout the contraction, whimpers and sobs mixed in, his claws digging into Cronus’ back and upper arm as he clung tight. The pain began to release him after a minute and he slowly relaxed, going limp. “Hah…they’re getting st-stronger” he panted.

“Howv long since the last one?” Cronus demanded, ignoring the claw marks in his skin as he held Kankri in his arms.

“Uhn, I think about…five minutes” 

“Kay. Vwe needa call the hospital. I’ll see if they can send someone here, or maybe an ambulance” he said comfortingly. “It’s gonna be all right” Cronus pulled out his phone and saw that it was completely dead, watery patterns swirling on the screen. “Um. I’ll just borrow your phone. Vwhere is it?”

Kankri whimpered. “In my hoodie, in the pocket” He puffed, looking flushed and sweaty. He struggled weakly, trying to get the hoodie off.

Cronus took it off for him and reached into the pocket, finding the phone. He would have commented on how cute Kankri looked in his overlong tee shirt or teased him for a reaction but now was not the time or place. He called the hospital and ended up on a queue waiting to be put through. Cronus made a growl of frustration “Argh, come on! Vwe don’t havwe all day. Damn it”

Kankri doubled over, groaning loudly as another wave of pain gripped everything from the belly down and squeezed. The amount of pressure was almost unbearable. The sounds coming out of him were deep and guttural, almost primeval. He would have been embarrassed or horrified at the pained howls he was making but for the fact he was so distracted by them there was no room for embarrassment. He was half naked, sitting on a pile soaked in his own fluids and moaning like a dying hoofbeast. Embarrassment went out the window with dignity.

Cronus felt himself starting to slip into panic and was debating whether to hang up and call someone else, maybe Chysil or Porrim. His thumb slid over to the hang up button. Just before he hit it, a voice spoke up; one of the receptionists at the main desk. She sounded a bit flustered and harried, “Princess Anne Hospital. Patricia speaking”

“Oh hey. Look, vwe need an ambulance or a midvwife or something. My matesprit’s gone into labour and - ”

The woman cut off his explanation “I’ll put you through to the maternity ward. One moment” she said shortly and then Cronus was back on another queue waiting to be served. He growled and hissed softly. “Damn it! Just hold on Kankri. It’s okay. I’m gonna get someone for you” he promised, hugging his love close with one arm.

Kankri was shaking, panting as he clung to his mate. He was scared and his body was doing crazy things. Red tinted tears stained the white tee he was wearing. The colour had drained out of his face, making it look blotchy with the feverish sweats he was going through. “Cronus” Kankri groaned weakly “I don’t feel good” He was regretting eating such a large sandwich earlier on as he was filled with familiar nausea and a rising feeling in his throat. A bitter taste coated the back of his tongue as his mouth flooded with saliva. Kankri let out a sickened groan and drooled, still trying to recover from the last contraction and being overheated.

“Oh shit. Hang on. Hold it in!” Cronus knew the signs by now. He dropped the phone and scrambled up to grab the trash can that they left beside the bed since the wonderful morning sickness first began. He ran back to the pile and quickly got it under Kankri’s chin, pulling him into his lap and helping hold him up. Just in time. With a gag and a belch the poor troll ejected the contents of his stomach in a chunky deluge that splattered hard against the plastic. Cronus sighed in relief. He really didn’t want both of them to be covered in vomit during this ordeal. He picked up the phone while Kankri continued to puke and was surprised to hear someone on the other end of the line.

“Hello? Hello? Anyone there?” a female voice said. “Princess Anne Hospital”

“Oh! Yes! Finally! Look my matesprit’s gone into labour and vwe need to get to the hospital asap but all the roads are flooded. Is there anything you can do? Send an ambulance, or our midvwife?”

“Okay. What was the name of your midwife dear?” She asked calmly.

“Uhh Chysil or somethin’. Please, you gotta do something!” Why did this woman sounds so calm? Didn’t she know this was an emergency?

“Okay just let me check for you. I’ll see if Chysil’s available. What was your name?” The woman on the other end of the line continued to sound infuriatingly calm and positive.

“Cronus Ampora. I’m ringing for Kankri” He took a steadying breath and tried not to sound as though he was freaking out.

There was a pause in which Cronus could hear her typing on the computer. After what seemed like an eternity but was probably only a minute, her voice came back on the line “Sorry, it looks like she’s out on another appointment just now. I can see you were booked in for next week. How often is he having contractions and how long are they lasting?” she inquired.

Cronus looked at Kankri. “Babe? Howv long are the contractions lastin, and howv far apart?”

Kankri’s reply was to puke more, getting the last watery dredges out of his system. He coughed and sat up a little. “Nngh, e-every five minutes, for about a minute” he groaned, clutching onto the trash can with ashen knuckles as another wave began to squeeze him like a tube of toothpaste. “Help me!” The words came out strained and full of pain, half sob, half yelp. Cronus reached out and pulled Kankri close, wishing he could do more.

“It’s okay. We will help you both. Just stay nice and calm” the receptionist said soothingly, easily hearing Kankri’s response. “Now, the road to the hospital is blocked from the flood as you may be aware. Unless it’s an emergency we won’t be able to send anyone out to you as all our emergency services are tied up helping flood victims. However, I can get a midwife on the line for you and we can give you directions over the phone until help arrives” she said reassuring them.

Cronus gritted his teeth “Vwhat? Not an emergency? Howv is this not an emergency?! He’s going to lay right nowv! Vwithout any pain relief or nothing! You gotta be kidding me”

“Sir. It’s okay. Egg laying is not considered as high risk as live births. It may be painful and uncomfortable but really it’s all just pressure, getting dilated far enough to push the egg out. It is unpleasant but the majority of trolls that have lain so far all came through just fine. Now if there are complications, yes we will send someone straight out, but for now everyone is tied up in emergencies. We’re going to help you though. Just put the phone on speaker and I’ll get one of our midwives to guide you through the process. Okay? You’re not alone. We’ll let Chysil know to come out to you as soon as she can”

Thunder roared outside, sending tremors through the walls and floor. It was followed by flashes of lightning. The rain kept pouring down. The power went out in the house, leaving them in a greyish half-light. 

Cronus panicked “Fuck. Fuck, fuck, FUCK! This has to be some kinda joke. Vwhat - ? I just – vwhat am I supposed to do?!” he swore, losing his cool.

Hearing this, Kankri panicked more “What? What are th…nngh….are they saying?” he gasped, sounding frightened and alarmed. “Did the power just go out?”

Cronus looked down at his matesprit and took his hand, gently squeezing it. “Nothing, Cherry. It’s okay. It’s gonna be okay. Yeah the powver’s dowvn but vwe’re gonna be fine”. He stopped himself falling apart and took a deep breath as the woman on the end of the line pleaded with him to please calm down. He had to stay strong for Kankri. After a few more deep breaths, Cronus felt a little calmer. He let out a shaky breath and tuned back into the phone conversation. “Okay, tell me vwhat I should do”

“All right sir, I’ll just put you through to Anita, she’s one of our senior midwives here. One moment” …. There was a second or two of waiting music before a new woman’s voice came on the line. Cronus put it on speaker and set it down on a pillow in the nest Kankri had made.

“Hello, Cronus, Kankri. How is everyone doing? I’m Anita. I’m going to help you through this” she introduced herself, speaking calmly and confidently.

Kankri wasn’t paying too much attention to the conversations going on around him. He was just trying to get through one moment to the next. He put the used bin aside and moaned, gripping his stomach as more pain began to build. “It huuuurts”

Cronus moved the bin out of the way “I knowv it does svweetie. Just breathe. That’s it”. He listened carefully to Anita while cuddling Kankri, not minding that the other troll was gripping his hand in a death grip.

“Now, he’s having contractions five minutes apart for roughly one minute? Is that correct? In that case this means he’s in active labour. That’s good. Things are happening! You’re going to need to try some positions to help with the pain. For instance, squatting, getting on all fours, lying on your left side, standing with your hands on the bed or a chair, whichever pose feels most comfortable to you” she instructed.

Kankri groaned “All fo-ours” he managed to get out.

Cronus helped Kankri to get onto all fours, helping him to lean his upper body against a stack of pillows and soft toys. He started to rub Kankri’s back.

“Harder. And…bit lower…oooh” Kankri pleaded.

Cronus obliged, firmly rubbing and kneading his lower back where the pain was.

“Good, good. That’s it” Anita said, able to hear what was going on. “Now when this contraction passes, Cronus, I want you to look and tell me how dilated Kankri is. Just estimate. He should be about ten centimetres before the egg will be able to come out. It sounds like things are progressing quite rapidly. Unusual, but nothing to worry about”

“Oh. Uh…okay” Cronus hesitated for a second before he stopped rubbing Kankri’s back and crawled behind him to see what was happening. “Holy shit! I, I mean…I’d say about fivwe centimetres” Cronus stammered, a little surprised at what he was seeing. He wasn’t a medical professional or a midwife so it was a little different view than he normally had.

“That is fantastic. Well done. You’re half way Kankri” she said warmly, encouraging.

Kankri looked half relieved, half upset. Tears streamed down his face. “Wh-why only fiiiive?” he whined. He was cut off by another groan. Kankri buried his face in the pillows and howled, clutching onto them so tight he was making holes with his claws.

Cronus resumed rubbing his back. “It’s okay. Scream it out babe. Keep goin!” he soothed. He wished he had some other advice, some way to help, but he kept doing whatever he could.

Anita chuckled. “Five is great, darling! Five! You’re just zooming through this labour. You’re doing so well. Most people last through several hours up to a day. You’re speeding through like it’s a race!”

Kankri chuckled weakly when the contraction faded. “Oh” was all he could think to say. He looked pleased though.

Cronus hugged and kissed him, petting his damp hair back. “See? You’re doing it Chief. You’re going so good”

Kankri sat up and hugged him “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry”

“Vwhat for honey?” Cronus asked, concerned “You’re not doing anything wrong”

“All the shouting and moaning. I sound like a dying hoofbeast” he said, hiding his face in Cronus’ shoulder.

Cronus held him tight, rubbing his lower back and sides. He kissed his horn tips. “It’s fine. I’d be yelling too if I vwas going through vwhat you’re going through. Don’t focus on that. Just listen to me and listen to your body and try to keep vworking through it, that’s all vwe can do”

He nodded and snuggled with him “O-okay. Love you”

“Lovwe you too” 

They stayed like that for about four minutes until Kankri said

“Ugghhh…I can feel another one coming” …

And then it was back to moaning and groaning.

Anita helped them get through more contractions. Fairly quickly, they began to get more frequent and grow in intensity. Cronus kept checking to see how far Kankri progressed. An hour later, he was only at eight centimetres when at the start of another contraction, he yelled “I need to push!” and then proceeded to scream loudly into the pillows.

Cronus looked worried. “Anita?” he asked, anxious, “Is that okay?!”

“Check dilation. If he’s not far enough opened it’s going to be more difficult for the egg to get through and it’s going to hurt. Kankri, darling…I don’t think he can hear me” she said, hearing that the poor troll was still screaming in pain “Tell him to try and breathe it away, blow that pain away” she instructed.

Kankri was in a haze of pain, barely registering what was happening around him as he tried to get through each contraction. They were only three to four minutes apart now, and hitting him hard. He’d thought the pain was bad at the beginning when he’d been moaning like a hoofbeast but it soon progressed to painful screams that just tore out of him involuntarily. He could feel the pressure mounting, along with the irresistible urge to bear down. His screams grew worse as a horrible pain gripped his insides and he pushed down as hard as he could.

Cronus tried shaking his shoulder, calling his name, turning Kankri to look at him but no success. He rubbed his back, feeling pretty much useless. “It’s not vworking. He can’t evwen hear me!” he said desperately. “Vwhat do I do?!’

“All right. In that case, he’s probably pushing. Once the contraction fades, then try to talk to him” she said calmly.

Cronus waited until he saw Kankri sag and pant against the pillows. He wiped sweat from Kankri’s face and neck with a soft towel he’d found in the pile. “Shhh. It’s okay. That one’s gone. Listen to me, Kankri. I need you to breathe through the next one okay. Midvwife said it’s not time to push yet or you’re gonna hurt yourself” He rubbed his shoulder. “Can you hear me svweetheart?”

Kankri nodded weakly, drooling and panting. He was tired and tear-streaked. “I’ll try” he gasped. 

Cronus kissed his temple “Good boy” he hugged him, “Vwanna change positions or you happy vwith all fours?”

“Happy” Kankri groaned weakly. He took a minute to catch his breath. There wasn’t much of a break before he started to tense again. “Oh god it’s coming. Another one’s…” he was cut off by a moan that built up with the pressure on his insides and turned into a scream. His claws sank into Cronus’ back as he screamed into his mate’s chest. Cronus held him steady, flinching and hissing at the claws but refusing to let go.

Again Kankri got the irresistible urge to push. He went with it, trying to breathe it out but finding he couldn’t. “I can’t do this, I can’t do this!!” he yelled panicking before devolving back into another scream.

When the searing pain faded, Anita could be heard talking. “That can’t be helped. If you’re not able to breathe through then with the next pain, just hold your breath and push, right down into your bottom. Okay Kankri? You got that Cronus? Your egg is going to be here within the next few minutes”

Cronus nodded before realising she couldn’t see him. “Oh. Yeah. That’s fine” 

Kankri was a sobbing mess “I want. It. To. Be. Out. Al.rea.dy” he gasped and hiccupped hysterically.

“It’s coming. It vwill be out svweetie. It’s gonna be out soon” Cronus soothed. “Look here’s your pillowv pile. Grab onto that. I gotta see vwhat’s happening dowvn south. Be bravwe for me”

Kankri reluctantly was pried off of Cronus and latched onto the pillow stack, leaning on it and panting, crying uncontrollably “I just w-wanna pass out. Why y can’t I pass o-ooout?” he sobbed.

“I knowv baby. I knowv” Cronus soothed. He checked and saw that he was pretty much at ten centimetres. “It’s about ten! Is that good? Anita?”

“That’s brilliant. That’s what we want. Okay, next contraction, big breath and PUSH! Okay Kankri?”

Kankri sobbed but nodded. Pain began to grip him and squeeze like a vice and he felt pressure moving lower and lower. He grabbed Cronus’ hand for dear life. He screamed. Then took a breath and pushed, then screamed again as the pain was like nothing he’d ever felt before. It felt almost like a huge weight was forcing its way through his insides, stretching him, tearing him open.

Cronus kept checking him and soon shouted “I can see it! I can see the egg. Kankri it’s coming. Keep pushing! You’re almost there”

Kankri pushed and screamed and fought to get the egg out over the next thirty minutes, but eventually Cronus noticed his screams becoming raw and sounding tired. He started to panic. “Vwhat’s vwrong? It’s not coming out. I can see it’s really close to being out but it ain’t budging”

“Stay calm. It’s probably just in the wrong position. I’m going to have to ask you to do something for me. Cronus, can you put your hand in and just try to feel where it is. Put one hand on his lower belly where the egg sac is and the other up his nook. We may need to turn the egg, just to rotate it so it slides out” she said.

Kankri was long gone. He was barely conscious and just went on primal instinct. He would have passed out long ago if not for the pain and pressure keeping him awake.

Cronus moved further behind Kankri, wriggling his hand out of his lover’s grip. He reached one hand down between Kankri’s legs to the lowest part of his belly where he could feel a solid mass under the skin. He sucked in air through his teeth, “Okay baby. I knowv you can’t hear me but I’m gonna tell you anyvway. I’m so so sorry I gotta just reach in for one second” he trailed off as he reached out his other hand. He carefully pushed his hand into the nook, being as gentle as he could. Kankri of course, screamed and writhed. Cronus felt the egg was sideways. He used the hand on Kankri’s belly and the other hand in his nook to carefully rotate it till it was more or less straight, instead of horizontal. He removed his hand and Kankri stopped screaming, but lay there moaning and sobbing. Cronus wiped his hand on the towel and gently rubbed Kankri’s left buttock and thigh “I’m sorry darling. I’m so sorry. It’s okay. You can push nowv. Come on, come on Chief. You can do it”

Pain...pressure….screaming…he was barely aware what any of these were any more. Everything was blurred. Something was stretching him open far below but he barely registered it until a burning fiery pain emanated from the area and he tipped his head back and screeched his lungs out.

Cronus saw the egg. It appeared, slowly but surely, stretching Kankri wider and wider until it could pass through. The hard red shell gleamed like candy. It dropped into Cronus’ hands that were waiting underneath. Kankri went limp, and passed out the moment the egg was in his matesprit’s hands. Finally, blessedly, it was over.

Cronus was shaking, “N-nowv vwhat do I do?” he asked. A question he’d heard himself say way too many times today.

“Clean the egg in lukewarm water. Dry it off and weigh it on a scale. It can be a cooking scale or a bathroom scale. Doesn’t matter which. Then tell me the weight” Anita advised. “Oh. I’ve just been informed that Chysil is on her way. She’ll be there in ten minutes to help you”

Cronus stood with the egg carefully held in both hands and headed to the bathroom. He washed it off in the bathroom sink, filling the sink up to bathe it and also letting fresh warm water coast over it. He pulled the plug and dried the egg off tenderly on a soft bath towel. Cronus covered the bathroom scales with a towel and set the scale to zero, then gently put the egg on top. He remembered the reading. He picked up the egg and walked back into the bedroom, telling Anita the weight of the egg.

“That sounds good. That is a nice, healthy grub egg with plenty of food in it for your grub for the next two months” she said. “Now place the egg somewhere safe and check on Kankri. Is he okay?”

Cronus put the egg in the nest, in a pile of soft toys, clothes and pillows. He knelt by Kankri and gently took him into his arms. “Kankri. Baby. Vwake up Cherry. It’s all ovwer” He stroked his hair back. “Come on baby. I got ya” he cooed.

Kankri stirred and weakly opened his eyes. He blinked up at Cronus and moaned lightly. “Where?” was all he could mumble.

“Vwhere? Oh. The egg. It’s, hang on it’s right here” Cronus placed Kankri’s back against the pillow pile and got the egg for him. He placed it in Kankri’s arms, helping him hold it. “This is our precious treasure. Our egg. You did it Kankri. You laid perfectly” he leaned down and kissed him.

Kankri looked exhausted, yet happy. He smiled and started a weak, stuttering purr. “Love” he said, cuddling it close as he also cuddled Cronus’ arm.

“Yeah, lovwe you too, Chief. And Crokri. Nowv vwe havwe the easy part. Twvo months of egg vwatching” he smiled. “And some vwell earned rest”

Anita was still on the phone. “Okay. If everything’s okay now, just try to clean up the area and let Kankri get lots of rest. He’ll need to rest properly for a few weeks at least and he’ll be a bit bruised and sore. Chysil should be arriving any minute, so I’ll leave you lovelies to enjoy your new egg and hopefully, we won’t be contacting each other again too soon” she laughed. “Well done. Congratulations to you both. Ask Chysil if you need anything else. Good bye. I’ve got another call coming in”

“Thanks. Bye” Cronus said, as she hung up.

He started to clean up Kankri, wiping him gently with a damp cloth and cleaning the laying site as well, throwing stained toys and pillows in another pile to get washed. He noticed a wet red patch underneath Kankri as he moved him to clean underneath him. Blood. Quite a lot of it. He looked at his mate and saw he was pale and barely awake. Kankri let out a soft pained moan.

“Oh shit” Cronus panicked. “Shit. Shit!”

The doorbell rang. Cronus ran to get it. He opened the door and gasped “Help! Kankri’s bleeding. Is it normal? Vwhat do I do?!” He felt like the universe was playing some cruel joke on him, making him think everything was going to be fine from now on then causing another emergency.

Chysil looked alarmed if not a bit soaked from the downpour. She put her umbrella down and hurried inside with her wheeled bag “Where is he? Show me to him” she urged.

Cronus hurried down the hall to where Kankri was and Chysil let go of her bag and knelt by him. She felt the side of his neck for a pulse and frowned. “His pulse is slow” she inspected Kankri and the amount of blood staining the pile and immediately pulled out her phone. “Hello, yes, I need an ambulance to come to 13 Primrose Street…” she stated calmly, as though she did this all the time. 

Cronus stood there dumbstruck with horror for a moment as Chysil’s words drifted out of his hearing. How did he not realise there was something wrong with his matesprit? He felt like a failure.

In about five minutes there was a wheeled ambulance-boat with flashing lights outside the house and the room was swarmed with paramedics. Kankri was put on a stretcher and wheeled into the ambulance. IVs were attached, one a blood transfusion. Towels and sheets were pressed to him to stop the bleeding and medications to slow it were administered. Kankri was given stitches to repair a large tear in his nook.

Cronus was handed the egg, wrapped in a baby blanket and put in a sling. Without remembering how, he was soon wearing it. He sat beside Kankri on the way to the hospital, holding his hand. He barely registered the people talking to him and asking questions, cleaning and stitching his own wounds and giving him tetanus shots and medicine to drink.

When they got to the hospital Kankri was situated and attached to various machines that monitored his pulse, breathing, temperature and heartbeat. Cronus sat beside him, still holding his hand, never once leaving his side for any reason. A doctor came in and explained that Kankri had simply had a few tears due to some labour complications of the egg being pushed before he was fully dilated and of it turning side on and being forced down the passage. He said tears were uncommon but not unheard of considering the size of troll eggs, being about as large or even a bit larger than, a human baby’s head. He also explained that Kankri had had an unusually fast labour which made it higher risk. Apparently what caused the heavy bleed was a damaged artery. Now that it had been discovered and patched up, he was out of the danger zone.

“So he’s going to be okay?” Cronus asked, anxious to hear good news.

The doctor, whose name was Mark, smiled. “Yes, he should be fine now, so long as he takes it easy and gets plenty of rest. He may be somewhat anaemic but he should recover nicely with iron tablets as a supplement. We’re just going to keep him here for a day to make sure everything’s as it should be. You’re most welcome to stay”

“Okay. Thanks doc” Cronus sighed feeling some of the tension drain out of him and leaned back in the chair. He kissed Kankri’s cheek. “You’re safe nowv, Kankri. I vwon’t let anything else happen to you” he whispered. He pressed a tender kiss to the hand he was holding “Sleep vwell, Cherry. I’ll be right here vwhen you vwake up”. 

***

Kankri’s eyes fluttered open. He blinked a few times, waiting for his vision to clear. He was lying down on something comfortable and he felt warm and sleepy. He looked around at the unfamiliar and yet very familiar place; a place with calming mint green walls, linoleum floors and white ceilings; a hospital. Kankri started to fret. He could feel his anxiety levels rising. Why was he in here? What happened? He whined softly as the memories started to come back. Suddenly he realised he was missing something very important, something very precious and irreplaceable. “My egg. Where’s my egg? Where’s my grub?” He started to cry and his breathing became faster as he caught sight of an IV in his arm and when wires and tubes were tugging on him as he tried to move. He felt a dull ache in his nook and stomach and realised he must have been given some sort of pain medication. “My egg! Where’s my egg! I need it. Egg!” He started to panic and struggled to sit up. It was hard with exhaustion weighing his limbs down. His head felt fuzzy from whatever they’d given him and the room blurred. Kankri was sensitive to medications; they tended to have a strong impact on him. “My egg! Where’s my grub egg? I need my egg!” he shouted.

He felt cool, strong arms go around him, helping him to sit up. A kiss was pressed to his temple and a welcome, somewhat sleepy voice soothed. “It’s okay, Chief. Here’s your egg. It’s right here”

Something soft was placed in his arms and Kankri looked down to see the bright red egg swathed in a blanket and soft sling. He instantly started to calm down as he hugged it close and cried happily. Kankri kissed it and nuzzled it. “Oh, my egg” he started purring. “My baby” He turned to Cronus, sniffling “Thank you. You kept it safe. I couldn’t bear the thought of leaving it alone”

Cronus had fallen asleep while watching over Kankri. He rubbed sleep from his eyes as Kankri spoke to him. Cronus hugged Kankri and kissed him, purring softly with his mate. “Of course not. I’d nevwer leavwe our grub behind or alone. It vwas vwith me the vwhole time, I promise”

A nurse appeared to check on Kankri because of the signals from the machines and smiled, seeing he was awake. “Well, hello there. I’ll get the doctor to come and have a look at you” she said, finishing her checks before walking off.

Doctor Mark reappeared and saw the two trolls cuddling with their egg. He smiled “How is everything going? Does anything hurt?” he asked. He kept near the end of the bed, a safe distance. Kankri growled softly as he curled around his egg protectively, surprising himself. He heard Cronus hiss under his breath.

At their looks of surprise doctor Mark laughed. “It’s okay, I’m not going to come near your baby. Those are your natural protective instincts, no need to feel bad about growling or hissing” he comforted. “You’ll be most protective in the first few weeks but you’ll learn to control those instincts the more time you spend with the egg. So don’t feel bad. It’s natural and perfectly normal”

Cronus smiled, cuddling Kankri protectively. “Oh okay, good to knowv. Kanny, did you need any more painkillers? Howvs the pain?” he asked caringly, stroking Kankri’s messy hair back.

Kankri made a soft noise of discomfort and leaned into the petting. “Just a dull ache in my insides. But the medication is making my head fuzzy, so I think I’ll just try to go back to sleep” he yawned.

Doctor Mark looked through Kankri’s notes. “Do you mind if I just take a look at your stitches Kankri? And I’d like to examine Cronus’ cut and the claw marks”. He meant the slash on Cronus’ arm that had now been stitched up and bandaged. “I won’t touch the egg” he said, raising his hands in a placating manner as both of them hissed and growled.

Kankri giggled, embarrassed. “Sorry. It just sort of, happens” he said “No offense intended. You can look at my wounds”

The doctor smiled “None taken. Thank you, I’ll be as quick as I can. I just want to make sure all the bleeding has stopped and that there’s no infections developing” He pulled the blankets down and reached over, untaping the sides of a medical diaper that Kankri was wearing.

Kankri looked down to see what was happening and blushed. He was still rather pale and the red made bright splotches on his cheeks. “Wh-why am I wearing that?!”

“Oh, this. It’s just a protective undergarment to soak up any blood or other body fluids. Not to worry” Dr Mark reassured him, washing his hands at the sink and putting on gloves. “We didn’t want to attach a catheter and further irritate a sensitive area and thought you would be more comfortable this way. Now, can you open your legs for me? That’s it. I’m just going to see what’s happening here” He gently began to examine Kankri.

Kankri still felt incredibly anxious being here and even though he had some pain meds it still felt a bit uncomfortable being examined. He started shaking and held onto Cronus, hiding his face in his shirt, the other arm holding the egg close to his body. The egg was surprisingly warm and solid. It’s presence also comforting.

Cronus petted his hair and purred “Shhhh. It’s okay baby. Try to ignore vwhat’s going on and just focus on me” he soothed. “It’ll be ovwer in a minute”

Dr Mark finished his examination and called a nurse. She cleaned him off with large wipes and fitted him in another diaper while the doctor wrote down things on Kankri’s notes before going over to Cronus and removing the bandage on his arm. He inspected the stitched cut and seemed pleased with it, applying some iodine solution and a new bandage.

“Well, everything looks fine. The wounds should heal nicely. I’ll give you both some information on what to do to maintain your wounds. For Kankri I recommend taking warm baths, patting dry gently after going to the toilet and spending time lying down. For both of your wounds, keep a look out for any changes in scent or colour. Cronus try not to get yours wet until it seals over. I also advise to let your GP know if you develop any sort of cough or cold, as your gills and system were exposed to possible contamination from floodwaters” He gave them some information pamphlets and wished them a good night before leaving to take care of other patients.

Kankri sighed and yawned, blinking sleepily “What time is it?” he asked in a drowsy tone. His voice was scratchy from all the screaming he’d done today.

Cronus looked at a clock on the wall. “Tvwo fifteen AM. Vwe should probably get some more sleep” he covered a yawn.

Kankri patted the bed and shifted over gingerly, getting settled so there was space for Cronus. He patted it again “Sleep with me. I don’t want to be alone”

Cronus nodded “Sure. I just havwe to use the bathroom first” he stood and looked around, spotting the sign for the bathrooms. He started to walk away but stopped when Kankri grabbed his hand. He looked down to see his matesprit tearing up again. Cronus sighed and hugged him, kissing him gently “I’m only gonna be gone for a fewv minutes. I’ll be right back I promise. Look after Crokri okay? Try to get some sleep”

Kankri whined softly but reluctantly let go of Cronus. “Okay. I’ll sleep when you come back. I don’t like this place, it makes me feel…anxious and weird” he shivered and cuddled the egg protectively, putting it under the covers with him and stroking its smooth, hard surface.

Cronus went to the bathroom and relieved himself then washed up a bit. He was still wearing only his boxers. He asked a nurse if they had any spare clothing and they gave him a light violet hospital gown. It definitely wasn’t that fashionable but it was better than nothing. Cronus shrugged and put it on. He hurried back to Kankri and crawled onto the bed beside him. He lay down and draped his arm lightly over his mate, who was fighting to stay awake. “Lovwe you Kan” He kissed him and purred. 

Kankri blinked, nodding as he fought to stay conscious “Love you too” his last words left in a mumble before he fell asleep. Cronus smiled and cuddled close. He fell asleep to sounds of light rain on the windows and Kankri’s soft breaths.

***

The next morning they were checked over again and Kankri was declared fit to go home, much to his happiness. He was given pain relief medications and instructed to take it easy before being discharged. Cronus was given iodine solution and dressings. He refused to let Kankri walk anywhere and carried him everywhere, but his mate didn’t protest. Kankri was still too sore to walk.

A boat service run by one of the local organisations was providing transport to people through the floods and kindly took them back home free of charge. The egg never once left their sight. It was a welcome thing to get back to their familiar street with their new treasure in tow. 

Cronus carried Kankri up the waterlogged garden path to their house and got inside easily since the door was still unlocked and open. Thankfully it didn’t look like anyone had taken advantage of that. He laid Kankri on the couch with some soft pillows, a blanket and the egg which Kankri was wearing in its sling. He went to their bedroom and put all the soiled towels and other items in the laundry, then tidied the pile so it would be as comfortable as possible should Kankri insist on sleeping there, which he probably would.

He went to make Kankri a cup of tea and soon came in holding a tea cup and two biscuits. He presented them lovingly to his mate “Here Kan, I knowv it’s not as good as you make it but I vwanted you to rest and get better, so...here” he shrugged, handing the biscuits over.

“Oh thank you Cronus. It’s fine really; it’s the thought that counts. Besides, you can’t really go too far wrong with tea” Kankri smiled and took them gratefully, turning on the TV and channel flicking to find something decent. He sipped the tea and regretted his previous words. It was way too weak and watery and overly sweet. How much sugar did Cronus put in this? He was going to have to teach him how to make a proper cup of tea. He picked up a biscuit and nibbled it warily. It was a bit stale but not inedible.

Cronus sat down on the arm of the couch and leaned over, reaching down to move some of the blanket away from the egg. “So, do you think he can still hear us in there? I vwas surprised at howv vwarm the egg is. But you knowv vwhat this means don’t you? He’s gotta be a land dvweller. And the egg’s red too”

“I think he can still hear us, yes”. Kankri smiled. He then frowned, stroking the egg gently. “I’m not so sure about land dweller though. Remember that ultrasound where we saw fins? I think he might be a violet blood seadweller. The colour of the egg doesn’t necessarily correspond to the colour of the individual within”

“Yeah but, it’s so vwarm” Cronus pointed out.

“Aren’t all eggs supposed to be kept warm?” Kankri wondered. There wasn’t really much info on egg care yet. The best person to speak to about that would be one of the jade bloods that tended the mother grubs’ eggs.

“Uh, maybe. I don’t knowv. If you’re a fish, not really but sea trolls aren’t exactly fish. Guess vwe’ll havwe to vwait and see. And there are some sea creatures that do need vwarmer temperatures so vwho knowvs?”

“Maybe Porrim can tell us” Kankri wondered.

Cronus frowned. “I kinda like it being a surprise. Let’s leavwe some things a mystery, ‘kay?” He nuzzled Kankri and kissed his horn tip.

He smiled and kissed his cheek, purring softly. “Mmhm, okay. I don’t care what colour he is so long as he’s happy and healthy anyway”

Cronus grinned and petted the egg. “You took the vwords right outta my mouth”

*** 

The next eight or so weeks were spent caring for the egg, resting and getting back to some degree of normal life. They carried Crokri’s egg everywhere and it was never left out of sight, especially when they had to go out of the house for groceries or errands. It was a precious, precious treasure they both guarded and cared for diligently, although they managed to get their protective instincts more under control after two weeks like the hospital said.

That’s not to say they gave it less attention at home. Cronus and Kankri took turns cuddling it while watching TV, or curled up in the nest Kankri had built and thanks to the sling they always had their hands free. They talked to it, sang to it, touched it and played music to it. Announcements were emailed out to everyone by Kankri as soon as he felt well enough, and he spent time writing and selling ebooks again on his husktop, or playing computer games and resting. Kankri wanted to get outside and tidy up the front and back gardens but Cronus was overly protective and forbid him from doing anything too strenuous. Chysil visited a few times per week to check how everyone was going and how Kankri was healing. She seemed happy with their progress and gave them helpful advice for recovery and egg care.

Kankri got tired easily the first couple of weeks and it took around six weeks for the wounds in his nook to completely heal, but they healed up fine in the end and he was most pleased at being able to walk or sit without discomfort. 

They had a simple yet nice Christmas (Cronus liked this part of human culture), with a decorated tree and house, a small dinner party and some friends, in which everyone got to look at and touch the egg so long as Cronus and Kankri were present. They also got and exchanged gifts. Porrim gave them both knitted items, for themselves and the grub.

When Cronus went back to work (he had parental leave for when the grub hatched, but not the waiting period before it was born), Kankri invited people over for company. If he didn’t feel in the mood for face to face meetings he communicated over Trollian and other websites, or rang people up to have a chat. Porrim turned up at least one day a week for them to have quality moirail time together. She often brought gifts (home cooked meals or grub things) or advice and always took her turn cuddling her little nephew’s egg. Latula proudly showed off her tummy as she got bigger and bigger. The twins wriggled a lot now that they were growing so fast.

Cronus uploaded lots of pictures of Kankri and himself and sometimes both of them, holding or interacting with the egg. And the customary photos of just the egg itself decorated in different ways or put in different cute scenes. People speculated on the hatch date and sent congratulations and well wishes. There was a buzz of excitement amongst the trolls and their friends.

Porrim made a set of decorative ribbon bows and headbands to put around the egg and they decorated it with them and took more photos.

Gradually life got back into some kind of routine, different than before, but still good. Around the end of January, Kankri spent time making handmade invitations to mail out to everyone they knew for once Crokri hatched. They were cards with little windows in them for where the photos of their grub would go, and decorated in violet fish and red candies. There was also a space for details underneath the main photo, under the words ‘Introducing’, with a space for a name, weight, height, hatch date, and other little information about the new grub. 

They were starting to get used to life, and preparing for the change that would come when their baby hatched. Crokri was due in February. And as it got nearer and nearer, there was an air of nervous excitement and anticipation.


End file.
